[Live]CruiseBOT: Celebration Carribean 5/26/24-6/2/24

[KarmaCruisers]

Ship: Carnival Celebration

Dates: May 26th, 2024 - June 2nd, 2024

Port: Miami

Itinerary: Grand Turk, Amber Cove, Nassau

Stateroom: Mid-Ship Starboard Extended Balcony on 11th deck.

VIFP Status: Platinum

 

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I’m flying out of SFO on a redeye with ETA to MIA on Sunday morning at 9am.

With platinum status, I got a boarding time at 10am; so that should line up perfectly.

I’m just beginning to pack, but it’s just me and it’ll also be hotter than hades (I’m used to 115* but with 0% humidity..it looks like it’s going to be high 80’s with 90+% humidity!)

I originally booked this cruise because my work “mandated” we WFH on specific weeks (last summer WE could choose any four weeks between Memorial Day and Labor Day; but alas that didn’t make EC happy)

 

I booked this on a casino offer that included free room and DOU(everywhere). Now, since January I’ve been taking better care of my health (stopped eating fast food and drinking a liter of cola everyday…I’ve actually NOT had fast food or a soda since 2/1) as well as just try to make better food choices (if there’s a “light” version of something available I’ll get it). I’m down 22lbs (and counting) and I’m just starting to add exercise into the mix (my goal is to lose 70lbs; to get me to 180)…so I don’t know how useful that free Cheers is going to be.

I’m kinda anxious about this cruise because it’s my first (carnival) cruise solo…(not by choice)

I’ve got an excursion booked in Nassau; to the Blue Lagoon (Beach Day).

Then in Grand Turk; I’ve got a chair/umbrella reserved at Jacks Shak.

For Amber Cove; I’ll probably just walk around the port a little (been there before and did MonkeyLand)

 

I’ve got Teppenyaki booked for Monday Night; and will actually see if i can book it again while on board (I like it THAT much)

 

I will make a (what I think is funny) comment..I’m on a (siteThatShallNotBeMentioned) group for this cruise; and it seems like there’s a TON of people who are worrying about the $250 deposit…it’s like damn..if you don’t have a CC with $250 available balance..maaaaybe you should rethink spending money on a cruise? (The going joke is, Carnival accepts EBT.) So this cruise should be GREAT people watching (aka: people of Walmart)

If there’s any good brawls, I’ll make sure to get a worldstar video, lol.

I also totally forgot it’s first week of summer for schools; so this ship will be P-A-C-K-E-D!!

 

Follow along…maybe we’ll break the internet.

[portcity]

Following. Same boat and itinerary NEXT year!  May 25th 2025.

[KarmaCruisers]

EDIT: Change of plans for Grand Turk; on the glowing review of @TxTeach79 and others; I booked HomeSweetHome Beach Day. Looking forward to a more quiet, relaxed spot

[TxTeach79]

14 minutes ago, KarmaCruisers said:

EDIT: Change of plans for Grand Turk; on the glowing review of @TxTeach79 and others; I booked HomeSweetHome Beach Day. Looking forward to a more quiet, relaxed spot

Sweet! Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

[KarmaCruisers]

Today is flight day!

Gotta clean up around the house a little bit because my aunt is going to stop by on Wednesday to check on the cat. 
Getting a fresh haircut right now, then going to fresh shave and start cleaning.

Going to leave the house at 7:45 so I can make the 10pm lot entry at SFO parking. 

[KarmaCruisers]

Hair is cut

Face is shaved

House is cleaned up

 

So far the flight is just about on time. It’s crazy; the weather in SFO is low 60’s (pants a hoodie) but when I land in MIA it’s going to the armpit of Satan (93* but 99% humidity!)

I WANT to be excited about this cruise; but it’s hard (my therapist said I need to focus on ME during this cruise)

One thing I’m happy about is not having to cook or wash dishes, and I’ll eat a lot of seafood!

[KarmaCruisers]

I intend to put exactly $10,000 coin-in through Dragon/LightningLink, via $2000 coin-in over the middle 5 days, playing $2.50 per spin (earn exactly 1 point per spin, 800 points a day)

Any guesses on profit/loss?

The math says I’ll have $1000 loss (thanks Carnival GiftCards!) but we’ll see..

[Destiny0315]

[KarmaCruisers]

30 minutes ago, Destiny0315 said:

it’s not a “system”; I’ve got $10,000 to play exactly once through the machines.

if I lose EVERY spin (highly unlikely) I’m ok with that outcome.

I’m really curious to see the math of the slots.

[KarmaCruisers]

I’m an idiot 

I somehow had set my map to “avoid tolls”

looks like it’ll take 90 minutes for me to get to the airport parking lot.

so that means I should leave the house at like 8:20-8:30

t-minus 2 hours until this trip is OFFICIALLY LIVE.

and I can’t believe it wouldn’t let me post WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot

Edited May 26 by KarmaCruisers

[KarmaCruisers]

The trip has begun!

on my way to SFO

[KarmaCruisers]

Arrived at SFO parking (just missed the damn shuttle too, haha. Have to wait 30 minutes for the next one)

[KarmaCruisers]

Made it to the gate..boarding starts in 45 minutes.

Man T1 is D-E-A-D! I would have expected a holiday weekend to be mopped up..but nah; nobody here.

I asked the TSA agent at security if this was normal for a holiday weekend and she said yeah, T1 here at SFO is usually empty on weekend nights.

[KarmaCruisers]

Boarded the plane. Should be about 20 minutes to push-back.

It’s warm on this plane!

[nydney1]

Great start to your review. I’m following 

[KarmaCruisers]

Touchdown at 8:29am local time.

not a bad flight, I slept through most of it. (Went to sleep right after take-off and woke up with them saying we’ll be landing shortly)

looks like there’s only three ships in port today..but my eyes could have been deceiving me.

Need to change into shorts once I get inside the airport, so my skin doesn’t melt in this 90% humidity.

ill probably eat breakfast here at the airport because I don’t think even at Platinum, I can board the ship before 10:30; and even at that, from the looks of it, the food places don’t open till 11:30.

[KarmaCruisers]

Ended up getting a Cuban sandwich at the airport. (It was OK; missing whatever “dressing” it should have on it?)

Got an Uber; which was a siiick Rivian R1S (which is actually what I’m debating buying) the guy was super cool and said its range is true to estimate (my only worry; because I’d buy it to tow my little trailer to camp)

Literally BREEZED through check-in and now I’m chilling in Captains Lounge until (apparently) 10:45..

[KarmaCruisers]

lol as an aside; when I took my boarding pass picture shot; the kid was like “damn you got nice teeth man!” 
I’m like..thanks! (Never had a guy compliment my teeth..or a girl for that matter haha)

[KarmaCruisers]

Walked around the entire ship..Downer of being first on..absolutely NOTHING is open. (Stepped on the ship at 10:45)

my skin melting off it’s so damn humid!

 

[KarmaCruisers]

Grabbed some lunch from Street Eats; then got a Shawarma.

I’m super bummed..I couldn’t find ANY fruit selection in the lido. (Going to look at Fresh Creations next)

interesting people watching. You can tell a LOT of these folks are blue cruisers. (Crazy to me, you’d choose a 7-day as your first)

Rooms are just about ready to be opened so I may go up and take a nap.

 

[KarmaCruisers]

I forgot to post these earlier; this is the Summer Landing (aka: Guys BBQ, and Heroes Tribute Area)

 

[KarmaCruisers]

Took a little nap..I figured my checked suitcase would go to “suitcase prison” for my fan..sure enough..no suitcase out front..they’re doing the all-ship mandatory safety briefing, but I’m going to go down and show them that a 12” desk fan is INDEED just fine (as I’ve brought it on ALL my cruises)

I SHOULD have carry’d it on; but I just brought my backpack so I didn’t have room.

 

[KarmaCruisers]

EDIT: apparently suitcase delivery is all kinds of messed up; Lee just said it’ll be going on into the evening…*shrug*
Going to poke my head out on the balcony for sailaway; then maybe see if I can’t find some nutrient rich food.

[Roscoe13]

6 hours ago, KarmaCruisers said:

Walked around the entire ship..Downer of being first on..absolutely NOTHING is open. (Stepped on the ship at 10:45)

my skin melting off it’s so damn humid!

 

You have nice teeth!

[pcvtmom]

2 hours ago, KarmaCruisers said:

Took a little nap..I figured my checked suitcase would go to “suitcase prison” for my fan..sure enough..no suitcase out front..they’re doing the all-ship mandatory safety briefing, but I’m going to go down and show them that a 12” desk fan is INDEED just fine (as I’ve brought it on ALL my cruises)

I SHOULD have carry’d it on; but I just brought my backpack so I didn’t have room.

 

This happened to us last month in Tampa.  I got the paper in my suitcase (delivered late) that said I had a "prohibited item".  It was the tiny fan that has gone on most of my 34 cruises!  I showed Guest Services the prohibited item list (from my phone), and fans aren't listed.  However, they were not sympathetic at all, and I didn't get it back. (NOTE: I was told I could have gone to claim it upon debarkation, with security, but we were on the Pride repositioning cruise, so we had to bus from Norfolk back to Baltimore.  No time to waste!)